Voices Of Freedom
by Nova Edgewater
Summary: Tale of Two Town. More Friends of Mineral Town. And Animal Parade crossover. In a world run by tyrant dictator Jin, there are few who dare to defy him. There is a select number of people who refuse to bow to the dictator's will. The members of the resistance hope to one day restore the land to the freedom they once knew before Jin's Regime took over. MULTIPLE PAIRINGS
1. Chapter 1

**I replaced the Frozen Flame story. I didn't like the way it was going. This I've been working on for a while.**

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A girl, codename Claire, stood staring at the large doors in front of her. She was one of the few remaining officers left in the resistance. They were starting to wain thin. The last attack had been in the town that she had been stationed in. The people of the town had caved quickly to the Raiders, the army of Dictator Jin Anaga. The resistance had held a headquarters there for years, but the town had never been a large influence there.

She had been out on a recon mission when the attack had begun. When she'd returned, the town had been decimated. The Raiders had taken all of the "friendlies" to Harmonica Town, the capital city, and had killed or captured the members of the resistance.

Claire had not wept for the loss of Flowerbud, instead she'd moved on. Tears were a luxery for those who had time and money. Claire had neither. Time, especially, was a commodity that Claire had little of. Money was of little use for her these days. The resistance traded in goods and food. Money was used by those who recognized Anaga as the leader.

When Claire had returned to the decimated town of Flowerbud, she had been attacked, and only barely managed to scrape by with her life. Claire had been forced to retreat to Mineral Town, one of the two strongholds for the resistance. Every other place had crumbled. Everything else officially belonged to Jin. The capital city Harmonica Town had spies, but spies were not enough to bring the dictator and his army down. Claire knew this as well as anyone else.

She stood looking at the door to the closest stronghold that she'd been able to limp to. She couldn't help but wonder, how long this stronghold would be able to hold up against Jin's army.

So much of her life had been given to the resistance. She had lost her older brother in the first war against Jin. When the resistance had started, even though she was only thirteen, she joined, much to her parent's dismay. they had pleaded her not to join, but she had felt the strong hand of injustice, and believed strongly that Jin deserved to be taken down.

As it stood at the moment, she was pretty useless to the resistance. Injured, without a troop, and defeated, Claire had very little to offer. She needed medical attention. She only hoped that Mineral Town did have a clinic. She hadn't heard too much about Mineral Town since she'd been busy on other missions, but now she would find out. Claire felt herself growing weak, she had wrapped her wound as best as she could, but she was still losing blood. She chided herself for losing herself in thought, and started walking over to the intercom.

"Stop right there!" a man behind her shouted. Claire slowly turned around with her hands in the air. She met the blue grey eyes of another officer with caution. He held himself confidently. His strawberry blond hair was covered with a dusty old cap. In his hands he carried a high power rifle.

"I'm not a friendly," Claire stated. That is what the resistance called people on Anaga's side, "friendlies." The man scrutinized her carefully. He didn't lower his weapon, but he looked less intimidating.

"What's your name?" He asked burusquely.

"Claire," she answered.

"I've heard of you, you're the girl who ran the Flowerbud division. Name's Gray," the man stated. "You the only one from Flowerbud?"

"Unfortunately so," Claire advised. "I was out on a recon mission when the Raider's attacked. Went back, and couldn't find anyone else left. From what I heard Anaga took the friendlies back to Harmonica Town and killed or captured any in the resistance. If he hasn't killed them yet, he will soon."

"Well there's plenty of work to be done here in Mineral Town, we'd welcome an officer of your caliber," Gray replied. Claire could no longer stand as a result of the loss of blood, she started to collapse.

"Whoa there!" Gray shouted and caught her before she could hit the ground. "You okay?"

"Badly injured," Claire gasped.

"Well then, let's get you to the clinic," Gray said.

XXXXX

"I want more!" Maya Logan cried out. She was a spoiled child as a result of being related by marriage to the Supreme Leader Jin Anaga. Her cousin Anissa had been the girl Jin had chosen to marry, so now her life was plush and comfortable. Her family lived in one of the largest houses in Harmonica Town, which was now a misnomer. Harmonica Town was now a large city, full of the land's richest people, but also some of the land's poorest people. Maya loved her life these days, and she loved the desserts made by her family's personal chef even more. She had just finished the last piece of Mont Blanc cake, and wanted to eat more. She screamed at her poor maid Angela. Angela sighed and made her way to the kitchen.

Chase Hammond rolled his eyes at the request for another Mont Blanc cake, they took hours to cook, and he was not going to make another one today. He did not want to be stuck here in Harmonica Town, he wanted to be in the field, working with the resistance. He had been a member of the resistance ever since Jin's right hand woman, Irene Arnold, had ordered the exuction of his family. No one had known about him at the time, so he had been spared. But as a child of seven, he had been forced into a life of servitude. At the age of 11 he had found the resistance, and joined. He had done his part to be an active participant ever since.

"I have the entire dinner to prepare, please go tell Maya that she is going to have to wait until then," Chase replied. Angela nodded, and took her leave. A few minutes later he heard a rumbling down the hallway. maya burst through the kitchen, looking angry.

"I want more Mont Blanc cake now!" Maya shouted. She pouted causing her multiple chins to quiver. Chase was rveiled by the mere sight of this girl. She had become quite overweight and lazy as a result of living her life as an aristocrat. He longed to be able to put Maya in her place, but held his tongue. Lashing out against Maya would do nothing to help the resistance right now. Chase was smart enough to know that making a stand against Maya about baking another cake would be acceptable to her parents, telling her what she really deserved to hear would not.

"I can't make one right now, Maya," Chase replied through gritted teeth. "I have dinner to prepare."

"I want one now!" Maya insisted. She opened her large mouth and let out a blood curdling scream. Chase covered his ears and groaned. He was quite used to Maya's outbursts, but it didn't make them any easier on the ears. she was unbearable at times when she was like this. Colleen, Maya's mother came rushing into the kitchen.

"Maya!" Colleen shouted. Maya stopped screaming. Her face fell when she saw her mother. Chase smiled. Typically Colleen would side with him, while Jake, her father, always sided with Maya.

"I want Mont Blanc cake! Chase won't make any!" Maya pouted.

"Ma'am I am working on dinner," Chase advised.

"Maya!" Colleen scolded. "You leave Chase alone. You could stand to lose a few pounds anyway!" Colleen pulled Maya out of the kitchen with her. Chase sighed with relief, and continued on their dinner.

Later that night, Chase navigated through the old mining tunnels throughout Harmonica Town's mountains. These mining tunnels had long ago been forgotten by the general populace, and for the past three years have been the pipeline for the resistance. Some of the tunnels ran underneath the city, while others worked their way through the mountains surrounding Harmonica Town. They were a perfect meeting place for the resistance, as no one ever used them anymore. The members of the resistance knew their way around the tunnels, and could navigate them with ease. When Chase had found them a few years back, he had made sure everyone knew the ins and outs of the tunnel system.

Chase was the leader of this fraction of the resistance. His was the smallest faction due to the fact that he was based in the His troop consisted of Molly who was a maid in the Logan household, Luna, who was a seamstress by day, Paolo, the young 12 year old that ran the lighthouse, Toby the fisherman, Renee from the animal Ranch, and Taylor from Marimba Farm. Then there was Phoebe the brains, she was an inventor, and had been the one to supply them with their weapons

"I assume you've all heard that Flowerbud was taken yesterday," Chase informed. Everyone in the meeting nodded their assent. The resistance had lost yet another headquarters "There was only one person who managed to escape. The rest were either killed or captured." There was a collective gasp around the group. They hoped for more survivors, the resistance was spread thin enough as it was."It was Claire the leader of that faction."

"Do you know where she's gone?" Luna asked.

"She's taken sanctuary in Mineral Town for now," Chase advised. "I don't know what the plans are at this point. But we need to remain strong. We cannot let this setback defeat us."

"This is more than a stepback," Paolo insisted. Being the youngest in the group, it was hard for him to stay positive. He had never known a time before the regime of Jin Anaga. He had been too young to remember what freedom felt like.

"I understand that," Chase replied. "But that's how we have to look at it. Our numbers are small, but we have determination." Chase looked around, though they were a small group, each of the members had their specific strengths and specific weaknesses. He could only hope that soon this land would be brought back to the freedom and once had. "Tomorrow night Anaga's throwing a ball, we need to use this opportunity to smuggle more goods to our allies."

XXXXX

Georgia Worthington gathered a meeting in the Twin towns. The news of Flowerbud crumbling to Anaga's Raiders was a devastating blow to the resistance. The headquarters there had been the closest stopping point before Harmonica Town. Mineral Town and The Twin Towns They were both on the outskirts of the continent, which made both strongholds hard to penitrate. But she knew that Jin would be strategizing soon. The Twin towns had one advantage, unlike Flowerbud, everyone in the twin towns was a part of the resistance. Even down to the last child.

"We all know that Flowerbud has been taken by Jin," Georgia announced. "But we will not allow that to weaken our resolve against this reginme! There was one person who escaped Jin's grasp from the resistance. She is now in Mineral Town. I know that we're stretched thin as it is. We need to continue to work hard." Georgia looked around at the people of the town. Once a long while ago they had been farmers, shop owners, restuaranteers, and normal people. That had all changed once Jin had taken over. Now standing before her was a troop of strong soldiers that were ready and willing to fight. They were ready to win back the freedom of the land. Her right-hand man Dirk, started clapping. Everyone else followed suit. It warmed her heart to see the hope that still flowed through her town. Hope was something that they needed to clingt to, if they had any chance of defeating the Raiders.

"Thank you," Georgia whispered to Dirk. Dirk nodded slightly back. He had been doing this long enough to know that the loss of Flowerbud would make many people lose hope. Georgia was good at restoring that hope. She had a way of speaking that made everyone want to stand behind her. He was proud to be a part of her troop.

XXXXX

After being patched up in the clinic by Mineral Town's Doctor, Gray brought Claire to the building that used to be the town's library. It had been turned into a tactical room. Claire looked to see a small girl with raven colored hair pulled back in a tight braid typing away at a computer. The girl didn't even seem to notice that people had entered the room, but Claire knew better. Everyone who was a part of the resistance was always hyper aware of their surroundings. People rarely let their guard down.

"This is Mary, she is our intelligence officer," Gray introduced. The girl' nodded in acknowledgement

"You're the girl from Flowerbud?" Mary asked, without even looking up from her computer.

"Don't mind Mary," Gray replied chuckling. "There's no one like her when it comes to computers, but she doesn't have the best social skills."

"I can hear you," Mary stated, still typing away. It was evident to Claire that it really didn't bother Mary what Gray had said.

Gray led Claire out of the tactical room, over to the building that used to be the Inn. Inside there were weapon racks filled with various firearms. Claire was in awe of the resources that Mineral Town seemed to have. A redhaired girl in baggy overalls stood behind the old bar. It was clear it had been quite a while since it had been used as a bar. She had maps laid out over the bar.

"Ann!" Gray called out. Her head popped up from the maps she was studying.

"Is this the new girl?" Ann asked.

"News travels fast," Claire mumbled.

"Here in Mineral Town it certainly does. We don't take too kindly to newcomers, that's why we need to notify everyone when there's someone new that's on our side," Gray explained. "Ann's our tactician. The man behind her is Cliff, he's our sniper. You'd be hard pressed to find someone better than him."

"The whole town involved?" Claire asked.

"Everyone here in Mineral Town is a part of the resistance. Even the small children. We've received some seeds and animals from our allies in Harmonica Town, so we're able to stay pretty self sufficient," Gray said proudly. Claire was a bit envious that Mineral Town's accomplishments. Of course it helped that the entire population of the town was with the resistance. Most of the people in Flowerbud were too afraid of Jin's Raiders to stand up against his tyranny.

"You've got a pretty amazing town here," Claire asked. "Are you the person in charge?"

"Yes ma'am that would be me," Gray stated. Claire sighed and looked around, this would be the place she would call home from now on.

XXXXX

Anissa Anaga found herself extremely unhappy. While many women would love to be in her place, she simply had not wanted this life. She sat in a chair being prepped for an important ball that her husband was throwing tonight. The young servant girl Chloe sat at her feet shining the shoes she was to wear that evening. Anissa's hair was being carefully curled.

"Miss Anissa," Candace her servant girl stated. "Can you please stop moving your head down?" Anissa looked back up into the mirror. She did not like girl she saw there. Her amber colored eyes were painted with more makeup than she'd ever wear in her life. Deep golds and purples framed her eyes. She looked at Candace. At one point she'd been friends with Candace and her sister Luna. That was before Jin came to power. She remembered those days with sadness. How she longed to go back to those simpler times. These days she was a figure head, nothing more. Jin did not love her, everyone knew he kept the dancer Selena as a lover on the side. Thee fact that she was married to Luke, the carpenter, made no difference to Jin, he always took what he wanted.

"Your dress is ready madam," came a voice from the door. Luna came in carrying the dress she and Candace had worked on for the ball. "I shall set it on your bed." Luna made no eye contact with Anissa as she spoke.

"Thank you," Anissa called out, but it was too late Luna had already left the room. Anissa often dreamed of joining the resistance. She had known for a while that Luna was a part of it. But she feared her involvement would expose all the members here in Harmonica Town. She didn't want her husband finding out about the spies in his city. So she acted as a figurehead, hoping one day, she'd get her chance to strike too.


	2. Chapter 2

**My favorite pairing is Gray and Claire! There will be romance between them later!**

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Claire settled herself into the shared room at the Inn. The room had several mostly enclosed, hammock like beds hanging from the ceiling, in order to maximize space. As of right now, Ann was the only other person in the room with her. She wondered what this Inn was like before it was a stronghold for the resistance. Possibly like the Inn that her parents had owned. She sat on the floor cleaning her weapon. Her side still ached from the wound, but at least it was treated at this point. It still fascinated her how Mineral Town worked so efficiently. She wasn't sure what her role would be in this town, but she was determined to do what she could.

"You ever think of times before Jin took over?" Ann asked Claire. She could hear the nostalgia in the young girl's voice.

"All the time," Claire admitted. "It's what keeps me going. I look forward to when our land can be like that again."

"I just feel bad for the children," Ann stated. "They never knew a time before this." Ann's words echoed Claire's thoughts. The children never had their taste of freedom, most had been too young to remember a time before Jin.

"Yeah, they haven't. I was very young when Jin took over," Claire stated. "But I remember the time very clearly." Claire thought of her brother. He had been her best friend and her hero. He'd fought against Jin the first time and had been executed as a result.

"Who did you lose?" Ann asked. "I lost my mother. My father was a leader in the opposing army, Jin couldn't catch my dad, so he killed my mother as punishment." Her blue eyes teared up.

"My brother was executed," Claire stated. "Does your dad live here?" Ann shook her head.

"He became a nomad. He comes here every once in while," Ann replied. Ann had lost just as much as she had to Jin. There was a collective moment of silence between the two. They both seemed to recognize what each other had lost.

There was a soft knock on the door. That broke the two girls out of their memories.

"Come in!" Ann called out. Cliff opened the door shyly, he had a tray of food in his hand. Claire was amazed at the food she saw on the tray. There appeared to be some fresh bread and butter, and a fried egg and cheese, for each of them. Claire had not had fresh food in a while. Flowerbud had been cut off, and because it wasn't fully acting for the resistance, Jin's army was able to block any resources given to them.

"Dinner rations," Cliff replied. He quickly left.

"How do you control the rations?" Claire asked.

"All of the food is stored here in the Inn, people come here for their meals. This town is so small that it's feasible to be able to do it that way," Ann informed between bites of her food.

"I can't tell you the last time I've had fresh food like this," Claire stated. She gingerly took a bite. The food tasted amazing.

"We're quite lucky here, the spies in Harmonica town use the water to transport goods to us. Since we are on the seacoast," Ann said. They both stopped talking and continued to eat their meals.

Suddenly the door opened and Gray burst through it. The two people he had in cuffs brought a cry of joy from Claire.

"Kai, Jack!" Claire shouted. "I thought you were dead!"

"We thought the same thing about you!" they both shouted in unison.

"So these are your boys then?" Gray asked gruffly.

"Yes," Claire said, composing herself. "I didn't know anyone else survived."

"We are the only two, we went back to Flowerbud, it's decimated, Raiders everywhere," Kai informed. Jack was leaning heavily on Kai. He appeared to be injured.

"Are you injured soldier?" Claire asked Jack. Jack nodded. "Let's get him to the clinic." Claire looked at Gray. Gray wasn't sure what to think. This was more than he had expected. But his faction of the resistance was spread thin, extra hands would help at this point.

"Alright, let's get going," Gray grumbled.

"Can you take their cuffs of at least?" Claire inquired. Gray mumbled somthing unintelligable, but released the two prisoners.

"I'll take Jack to the clinic," Gray advised. "Ann, please get Kai some food."

"Yes sir!" Ann stated. She saluted him quickly.

"Let's get ya some grub," Ann stated. Claire was left alone in the room reeling at what just happened. Kai had been her right hand man. She had thought for sure they were among the dead or captured. The only reason she'd survived is because she hadn't been in Flowerbud when the invasion started, she had been on a recon mission. When she had returned she had a run in with the Raiders, but had managed to escape. Although Kai and Jack had been two of her toughest men, it didn't surprise her that if anyone had survived it had been the two of them, but she still had more questions, she made her way downstairs to have a talk with Kai.

XXXXX

Laney Hill made her rounds around Bluebell. They adhered to a strict lights out or curtains drawn curfew of six pm. Tonight was Laney's turn to check it out. She returned to Bluebell's headquarters which used to be the old town hall, to report to Georgia. Laney, had not hesitated when she was asked to join the resistance. Much like everyone else in the twin towns. Everywhere she looked, she saw people struggling. No one knew what was going to happen next. Jin made up laws on the spot, and did whatever he pleased. The saddest part for Laney was her mother. Laney had adored her mother, striven to be just like her when she was a child. But then mother had fled the twin towns the minute the resistance started. She fled to the capital, and had her marriage annulled. Laney received a letter a few months later from her mother the letter stating that Laney was no longer considered her daughter under Jin's rule. Her mother had sighed a piece of paper absolving her of any responsibility. It had stung deep within Laney. Any doubts she had about joining the resistance had left.

"All good?" Georgia asked. Laney nodded. "Good, just radioed Dirk in Konohana, all is good there." Georgia and Laney had been childhood friends. Laney remembered the times when they would play with their dolls, now they would be training and preparing for war. Georgia had become tough ever since Jin overtook the land. Her father had grown ill, and had not received proper treatment. Jin had only allowed certain families rights and privileges. Only the very richest of families had been given any care. They had all been moved to Harmonica Town. As a result her father had become nearly invalid. Rose, the wife of the old mayor, took care of him. She was getting on in years, but still wanted to help where she could.

"What keeps you going?" Laney asked Georgia. There were some days Laney felt like giving up.

"My family, this town. The people here who have given so much of their lives and talents for the resistance. That is what keeps me going," Georgia replied. Laney sighed. She wished she had Georgia's strength. Georgia reached out and grasped Laney's hand. "Find something up fight for, cling onto that during the hard times."

"Thanks Georgia," Laney said. She retreated to her room for the evening.

XXXXX

Chase spent much of his day preparing for the ball. Luckily for him there was enough commotion going on, that he was able to sneak out supplies for the strongholds. Tonight would be a prime time for the boat to go out. Paolo would be the one transporting it. No one would notice if he was gone for a few days. Paolo's father didn't seem to care that Paolo was gone for days on end. Both the remaining strongholds were pretty self sufficient, but they always appreciated the extra supplies from Harmonica Town.

Chase detested balls. Jin liked to throw one at least once a week. Tonight it was for the highest of aristocrats. Maya had been waddling around demanding this and that. He was grateful that he didn't have to attend the ball. At least Maya and her family, would be out of the house. While he was preparing her a light dinner before she left, he heard her scream.

"But mama!" Maya shouted. Chase cringed. Her whiny voice was like fingernails against a chalkboard.

"No Maya, I'm putting my foot down you cannot bring help to the ball! Imagine how that would look," Colleen, her mother, scolded.

"I don't care! I love Chase!" She screeched. Chase cringed even more, and resisted the urge to vomit. Yolanda the head servant smirked at him. He scowled back.

"No, it's not happening. Jin has already arranged for Perry to take you, he's a pastor you know," Colleen stated. Maya's reply was too muffled to make out. At that moment Chase could have hugged Colleen, although she wouldn't have appreciated it. Last thing he needed was Maya vying for his attention. Tonight he had a very small window to get the supplies out to Paolo.

XXXXX

Anissa made her way through the crowd, doing her due diligence as a proper wife of the dictator. She mingled with the crowd and did everything that was expected of her. She did it mainly to protect her family. She wanted none of the scrutiny on her family, especially with Taylor as a part of the resistance. Her blue gown flowed around her. She'd never before worn such fancy clothing, as she did at these balls. She looked to the dance floor to see Jin wrapped in Selena's arms, Selena had a smug look on her face. Anissa held back the laugh that threatened to escape her lips. She really didn't care if Jin's affections were elsewhere. Selena wore a dark purple form fitting gown that left very little to the imagination. Anissa would have felt very uncomfortable in a get up such as that.

"Tasteless if you ask me," her mother, Ruth sneered as she looked at Selena and Jin. Ruth would never say anything to Jin, she enjoyed the lifestyle that her daughter's marriage to Jin provided. "You really going to allow your husband to make that display."

"I don't really care what he does," Anissa said. She shrugged her shoulders in indifference.

"You should!" Ruth chided. Anissa sighed. This conversation, or variation of, happened every ball. Suddenly one of Jin's Captain's, Owen, came running in.

"What are you doing here?" Jin demanded. His raiders knew better than to interrupt a ball unless it was important.

"Sir we think we've captured a spy from the resistance!" Owen said nervously. "You advised us to te you ASAP..."

"Yes," Jin pulled Selena off him. Anissa was curios to see who they had captured. Anissa knew exactly who was in the resistance, this could put her brother in jeopardy. Anissa made her way over.

"What's going on?" Anissa asked.

"Nothing, you stay here!" Jin ordered. He left with Owen, leaving Anissa alone with a room full of people staring at her


	3. Chapter 3

"We can do this the easy way, or the fun way," Jin sneered at the man who was shackled to a chair.

"I'm innocent!" the man shouted.

"Stealing is a crime punishable by death in this land you know," Jin advised. "But I'm willing to negotiate with you, all I need is the name of your associates."

"I just wanted food for my family!" The man pleaded.

"Owen!" Jin barked. "Who is this man?"

"Sir, his name is Jamie Stellick, he's one of the people from Flowerbud!" Owen responded. Jin smiled, it sent shivers down the young man's spine.

"I give you a chance here to make an honest living here in the capital and this is how you repay me?" Jin asked. Jamie said nothing. He'd lost so much as a result of Jin coming to power. He hated Jin, but he hated the resistance too. Because of them, his hometown had been destroyed, and he'd been forced to work in Harmonica Town's weapon factory. His family still didn't have enough food. He'd stolen a box of food that he saw on a truck bed going to the ball. Try had caught him and accused him of being part of the resistance.

"I'm not a part of that group!" Jamie shouted. "I hate them!" Jin moved closer to the man.

"So it's going to be the fun way," he sneered. Jin pulled a sharp dagger out if its sheath attached to his belt. Jamie started struggling against his restraints.

"Please no!" Jamie begged. Jin looked at the helpless man for a moment, then started laughing.

"Oh I'm going to enjoy this," Jin replied.

XXXXX

Gwen and Lyla had fled Flowerbud long before it had become a hub for the resistance. By the time that the resistance had moved in, they'd been integrated into Mineral Town's hierarchy, they decided not to go back. They were anxious to talk to Claire, to find out the real story of what happened to Flowerbud. Unfortunately tonight they were stuck on the run for supplies with Zack. Lyla put Gwen between herself and Zack. Lyla found Zack just a little creepy. Lyla looked a lot like her cousin Lillia, and everyone knew that Zack had been in love with Lillia forever. Lillia, however, was a married woman, and very faithful to her husband. So when Lyla had moved into mineral town, Zach, who was old enough to be her father had taken a shine to her. Gwen understood this, and always played block when possible.

"Are you worried about your grandfather?" Lyla whispered to Gwen. Lyla had no family in Flowerbud, but she did have a lot of friends. She was particularly worried about her friend Louis. He was never a strong type. And she knew as well as anyone else, that's Jin was not the nicest to those who had weaker personalities. Gwen turn to Lila and nodded. Her grandfather had raised her as a child. Since her parents, had been killed the first war

"I only hope that his skills can be useful to Jin," Gwen replied. She wasn't willing to say anything more, not in front of Zack. These days, you had to be careful about who you trusted. Lyla was the only person she trusted completely.

"My dream, is that one day, the resistance will be strong enough," Lyla sighed.

"Isn't that all of our dreams," Zach mused. Lyla jumped. She hadn't thought that he's been listening in on the conversation. "The loss and suffering from his regime has been unforgivable!" Lyla heard the pain in voice, and recognized that he had lost someone too.

"Who did you lose?" Lyla asked.

"My daughter," Zack replied. "When Jin first took over, he gathered beautiful women from all over the country and chose his wife, my daughter was one of those women." Lyla bowed her head. She remembered that vividly. She and Gwen had been too young at the time, so they had been passed over, but a few girls from Flowerbud had been ripped from their homes. Jin had not just chosen a wife, and let the others return to their lives, he had imprisoned the rest. He did not want anyone else to marry someone who had been a potential candidate for him.

'What is your daughter's name?" Gwen asked.

"Chelsea," Zack answerd. Both Gwen and Lyla gasped. This past year on his anniversary, Jin had brought out a girl who had been one of his marriage candidates. She had been so thin you could see the bones protruding through her skin. Both girls remembered seeing her turquoise blue eyes staring into the camera blankly. What had happened next had shocked everyone. People knew that Jin was heartless and cruel, but this had caused even some of his supporters discomfort. Jin had ordered the girl's public execution. It hadn't been a quick death either. Her screams had penetrated through their small televisions. Lyla shivered as she thought about it. Afterwards Jin had issued a warning, that this would continue to happen every year, unless the resistance gave up. It had backfired on Jin though, people grew even more determined to take him down.

"I'm sorry," Lyla whispered.

"She was my life," Zack replied. "Jin has taken that away from me. Now it's my goal to take his away from him." They continued the rest of the way to their meeting point in silence.

XXXXX

Karen Mason had grown up in mineral town. Being a part of the resistance, had never been something that she had questioned. She spent most of her days training and refining or strategizing. Karen wasn't as good as as some of the other soldiers, but what Karen lacked in technique, she made up for in heart and determination. When she retired to the Inn that evening, after a long training session on the beach, she was surprised to see the new girl settled in so easily. It had been a while since anyone new had come to this town.

"I assume you're Claire?" Karen replied. She tossed her back pack on her hammock bed. There was little privacy, but the Inn was one of the few remaining buildings stood and mineral town. At least the beds were enclosed with thick canvas, so they could have some privacy area. Comforts such as having one's own room, was not something many people in Mineral Town had.

"That would be me," Claire mumbled. Claire was exhausted and wanted to get some sleep.

"My name is Karen," Karen stated. "Glad to have you on the team" Claire was grateful when Karen said nothing more, and instead crawled into her bed, and pulled the flap down. Karen rested her head on the pillow. She'd pushed herself extra hard today. She knew she had to keep up her training if she was going to be of use to the resistance, it had been a good day.

XXXXX

Chase made his way through the tunnels with supplies. While Mineral Town and The Twin Towns had become self sufficient for food, they still needed medical supplies from Harmonica Town. Molly was with him, pulling another cartful of supplies. Molly looked as delicate as a flower, but she was tough. Molly was quite possibly the most deadly in his troop. She was a natural soldier, born to fight. Her looks made it easy for her to hide. No one suspected a girl who looked like her to be a trained assassin. It was how she got away with so much. Luna was to meet up with them with some material for clothes. Luna was another fighter. The girl had spunk and tenacity.

"Luna at your 11," Molly stated. He looked up to see Luna with a cartful of linens.

"Evening," Luna greeted. "I gotta get back. Had to sneak out as it was. You know how ball nights go." She handed the cart off to Molly and quickly ran back into the tunnel age came from. Molly and Chase said nothing, just continued down their path to their rendezvous point with Paolo.

Upon exiting the mine tunnel, they could see Paolo in the moonlight, one of Jin's raiders was standing near him.

"Just what are you doing out here?" The man asked. Molly and Chase kept themselves hidden. Molly poised to take action in case there was trouble.

"Lost track of time," Paolo stated.

"You know it's past curfew," the raider barked. He roughly grabbed Paolo's arm. Molly reacted. In a flash She had the man on the ground and knocked out. Chase came out from behind the bush hiding the tunnel's entrance.

"Great now what?" Chase asked. Molly shrugged. She hadn't thought that far ahead. Chase sighed and pulled out a syringe. Phoebe had concocted a memory wipe serum. Chase tried to only use it in case of emergency. He injected enough into the soldier so he'd forget his encounter with Paolo. He tried not to use the serum unless it was an emergency. The materials were hard for Phoebe to procure. This certainly qualified as an emergency. They could not afford to have Paolo's cover blown.

"Thanks," Paolo stated. The trio got to work on loading the supplies into the small boat.

XXXXX

Claire made her way to the Clinic to check on Jack's progress. From what she had heard he had been injured worse than she had. She also wanted answers. Kai was not always the most honest and forthcoming, but Jack was generally a straight forward guy. It seemed a bit surreal to be in Mineral Town, a place where the resistance still held control. It gave her some hope seeing Mineral Town. She needed it. Her hope was starting to wain thin. Keeping hope alive was always the most difficult part of being a leader. Claire, however, was no longer a leader. She would have to accept her new position in the heirarchy in Mineral Town. Stepping inside of the clinic, she was bombarded with the strong odor of antiseptic. She saw Jack laying on a bed looking weary. She wasn't sure what to make of Jack and Kai surviving.

"Hey boss," Jack greeted. Claire didn't return the smile that he gave her.

"Why were you two not in Flowerbud at the time of the invasion?" Claire asked.

"Wow right to the point huh?" Jack asked.

"You know me Jack," Claire stated. She pulled her pistol out of it's holster, and leveled it on Jack. "Now, tell me the truth. Where were you?"

"Whoa Boss!" Jack exclaimed. "What are you doing?" Jack stared at the pistol Claire had trained directly at his head.

"Making sure you tell me the truth," Claire replied evenly.


	4. Chapter 4

**Lots of introductory stuff in these first few chapters. Thanks for the reviews!**

* * *

Jack stared at the pistol pointed straight at his face. He had been at the wrong end of a gun before, but he knew in the hands of Claire, it was more than just a threat. She had very little qualms about executing people who were found as traitors, he'd seen her do it before. Claire continued to stare at him expectantly, waiting for his answer. He looked up at her, bit knowing how to explain the betrayal of trust. What he and Kai had done was not the worst of offenses, but given the circumstances it was looking pretty bad.

"What do you want me to say boss?" Jack asked. "I have a feeling you're not going to believe me regardless."

"Why don't you stop stalling and try me?" Claire demanded.

"We weren't at our post, because we were with our lovers."

Claire looked into Jack's eyes searching for any trace of deception. All she saw was the pain and agony of regret.

"What?" Claire asked. Of course she'd heard about Jack and Kai's lover's. She made it her business to know what her people were doing.

"We should have been there! We shouldn't have left!" Jack replied angrily.

"Jack, and Kai know that I trust you more than anyone else. But it's not about trust. It's about winning the battle."Claire pulled back the hammer on her pistol.

"Please boss please!" Jack shouted desperately. "We didn't deceive you! We know what we did was wrong! We don't deserve to live! But I would like the chance to be able to make it up!" Claire stared at Jack after a few agonizing minutes. Her eyes were as cold as ice. Finally, she lowered her pistol. She quickly dropped the magazine, and popped the round out of its chamber.

"That's all I needed to know," Claire replied. The doctor looked at her with a newfound appreciation. People like Claire where exactly what the resistance needed. "Take good care of my soldier there Doc, we may need him soon." With that said Claire left the clinic.

Jack sat in the bed, sweating. He thought about how close to death here just come. Claire wasn't the type to forgive very easily. He knew it was wrong to leave his post for a woman, but when he had been with Flora, it made him feel alive again. Now she was dead as a result of their carelessness. It was a regret that Jack would live with for the rest of his life.

"Come now," the nurse Elli replied. "I need to redress your wounds." Elli had a small smile on her face. Jack could see that she was amused by the small exchange that had gone on. He looked at the nurse, who appeared to be at least thirty years old. He imagined that if life were different, she would be married with children. But as it were, children were a luxury not many people in the resistance afforded themselves.

"Really screwed up huh?" Jack asked. Elli's brown eyes locked on his face. Her expression was now solemn and quite serious.

"You should be thanking the goddess right now that you're alive," Elli answered. Her expression softened a bit, but her tone was stern. "That was a dumb thing you did." Jack watched as she started pulling of the bandage. He was fascinated by her hands. They were delicate and felt soft against his skin. The light blue dress she wore showed very little of anything. But it was cinched tightly at the waist with ruffled white apron. Chocolate colored hair fell across her forehead and into her eyes. There was something strangely comforting and alluring about the woman standing before him. He liked watching as she made little movements with her head as she attempted to move the hair from her eyes. He wondered briefly what she'd be like in bed. Jack dismissed that thought as quickly as it came into his head, it was a woman that got him in this trouble in the first place.

XXXXX

Jin had started out in life wanting to be a doctor. Anissa could remember those days when they were pre-teens. Jin had been so studious and kind hearted. Hardly the dictator type. She had fallen for him at a very young age, but he had been too busy studying to notice her. Something had happened that had hardened his heart, and made him power hungry. He had managed to overthrow the King and take control of the land. She longed for the boy she had known before. The one who had lofty goals about saving everyone.

The empty halls of the palace were like Anissa's own fancy prison cell. She was really just a figurehead, Jin used her for appearance. She cared very little these days. She had long since lost any of devotion she had once felt for the man. He only noticed her when he had a public appearance he wanted to make like today. It had been such a long day, and now she just wanted to relax. Jin had gone off to have his afternoon romp with his Selena.

Anissa had a secret of her own. The palace had taken into employment a young kid by the name of Bo to be the carpenter. Anissa had instantly found herself attracted to the young boy who was barely just eighteen years old. Anissa was well into her thirties, but she didn't care. After the disaster that was the ball, Anissa needed his special kind of attention. She had left a small sprig of lavender in his toolbox, it was their pre-arranged sign for their rendezvous. She made her way down some winding stairs to an old bedroom that was not used; their usual meeting place, and waited for her lover.

XXXXX

Life was never cut and dry, or black and white. It was something Georgia had learned very quickly. She had at one point thought of things as right or wrong, no in between. But now, she saw the beautiful shades of grey. Life in Bluebell was a routine of training, learning, eating and sleeping. Everything was in preparation for battling Jin's Raiders. But Georgia knew that to defeat Jin, she had to embrace the grey. Jin was undoubtedly an evil man, but there were other things to consider. There were some in the resistance who believed in the total takedown of Harmonica Town. Georgia didn't believe in that. Besides the fact that the resistance had spies in the capital city, Georgia believed that not everybody who lived there was inherently evil.

"Hello boss," Georgia heard. She looked up to see Cam standing before her.

But what can I do for you soldier?" George asked. She recalled better times, when they were younger, she Cam and Laney had all been friends.  
Friendships were tenuous at best now, Georgia had learned that caring for people did no good at this point. The more you cared the more vulnerable.

"I'm worried about Laney," Cam admitted. Georgia had known about Cam and Laneys relationship for a while now. She hadn't thought it was the best idea, but hadn't openly condemned it either. Laney was a sweet, kindhearted, and gentle person. If it weren't for the resistance, Laney wouldn't be a soldier at all.

"What's going on?" Georgia asked.

"Did you see the TV last night?" Cam asked. Georgia shook her head, she tried to stay away from the propaganda driven things aired on the tv. "Well Laney did, and her mother was interviewed. She was talking about Anissa, how Anissa's like the daughter she never had."

"Oh shit," Georgia sighed. She knew Laney struggled with her mother's abandonment.

"Yeah," Cam replied. He raked a hand through his hair.

"I'll talk to her," Georgia replied.

XXXXX

"You expect me to believe that lame ass story about your guys being with their lovers?" Gray demanded.

"No," Claire replied. "I don't know if I believe it myself. But we're low on manpower, and we need them." Gray couldn't argue with her logic. They did need the manpower. But he was reluctant to trust the two men.

"I'm assigning some soldiers to both of them," Gray stated. "To make sure they are on the up and up."

"Fine with me," Claire stated. Gray stared at Claire assessing her. He wasn't quite sure what to think of her. He did notice how beautiful she was, but he'd need to be blind not to. Something told Gray he would get slapped if he told her so. Claire struck him as a very no nonsense person.

"Alright," Gray replied. "If your men prove to be trustworthy, we can use a few extra set of hands around here."

"Am I under the same scrutiny?" Claire asked directly. Gray couldn't help but chuckle. This girl definitely had fire.

"There's no hiding anything from you is there?" Gray asked.

"I'm no idiot," Claire retorted. "Well if there's nothing see you need, I will be going."

"Hold on just a minute soldier," Gray commanded. Claire stopped and turned.

"Yes sir?" Claire asked. There was an edge in the way she said sir. Gray wasn't sure whether he should reprimand or laugh at her.

"The boat just docked with supplies, could use your help." Claire sighed and fell in line behind him. She was not accustomed to being ordered around, and she wasn't sure she liked it.

XXXXX

Renee Preston's family was actually quite wealthy. They were ranchers who provided animal products to Jin, and most of Harmonica Town. Renee had never been suspected of being a part of the resistance. But she hated the inequality she saw. Even if she were in a position of wealth, her heart ached for those who were not. She spent most of her days with the animals, as the money had gone to her parents heads. She had once adored her mother and worshipped her father. Jin's corruption had affected them. It saddened her to see her mother being waited on hand and foot, and her once hardworking father barking orders to his underlings.

"Renee darling," her mother, Hanna groaned. "Why do you insist on getting yourself dirty with those animals?"

"You know mother," Renee sighed. "There was a time that you once loved to spend time with the animals as I do."

"That was before I knew better," Hanna replied. Renee rolled her eyes. She started walking away. "Oh by the way, before I forget, Calvin's coming over for dinner tonight, so make sure you look nice!" Renee groaned. Calvin was a rich aristocrat that her mother had decided Renee should marry. Renee could not stand him. She retreated into the barn. At least for few hours, she could enjoy herself.

XXXXX

"Chasey!" Maya's voice echoed through the halls of the mansion. Chase groaned. Molly looked at him and smirked. He glared at the petite girl. It was quite funny to see Molly dressed as a maid. She was forced to wear a dress, which he knew she hated. Molly's skills were wasted in the Logan household.

"Your girlfriend's calling you," Molly quipped. Chase threw an onion at her head, which she expertly caught. He couldn't help but admire her reflexes.

"Shut up," Chase mumbled.

"Chasey!" Maya shrieked.

"Maya keep your voice down!" Colleen chided. "What is the matter?"

"I want to talk to Chase!" Maya shouted.

"I told you to stop fraternizing with the help! Now go get ready! We have some very important company tonight!" Colleen rebuked. Chase once again found himself being grateful for the head of the household.

"Better get ready for the captain to get here," Molly grumbled. "Someday... Someday this will be all over. I really wouldn't mind being the one that took him down." They both shared a look. Molly detested Owen. He always groped her freely whenever he visited.

"You two!" Colleen shouted. Both Molly and Chase jumped. They hadn't thought she was so close. Molly wondered if she had heard what she had just said. Colleen looked rather unpleased. Molly got into position ready to pounce if needed.


	5. Chapter 5

******Sorry it's been a while was on vacation! Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"Why are you two slacking off?" Colleen demanded. "Jin and Anissa are coming tonight, why are you two slacking?"

"Sorry ma'am," Chase replied.

"You! Young man, you need to stay away from my daughter!" Colleen scolded. "She doesn't need riffraff like yourself fraternizing with her."

"No argument here ma'am," Chase stated. He only wished it were easier to get away from Maya.

"Alright, well you two get back to work!" Colleen ordered. She spun on her heel and left.

"Do you think she heard us?" Molly whispered. Her muscles started to slowly un-tense.

"Nah, she wouldn't be able to hide it that easily," Chase assured. "Let's get back to work though."

"Oh yes," Molly said dryly. She would undoubtedly be needed to set the massive dinner table. Molly had learned at a very young age to always watch out for number one, herself. But these days, watching out for herself was much less important than helping along the resistance. Jin was becoming more cruel as the years went by. The killing of the girl last year had been the tipping point. Molly had seen that his cruelty had become even more intense. Killing a completely innocent girl had been a step too far. Even some of his friendlies were starting to disagree with his tactics, although none of them would say anything. Everyone was too afraid of Jin's power.

Molly wasn't afraid of Jin. She no longer feared death. After all that had happened, she feared never having freedom again even more.

XXXXX

Kai could get used to his post. The girl who had been assigned to "watch over him was a gorgeous pink haired girl. He had been assigned to watch chickens. It was so much more fun to watch the petite pinkette working beside him. Kai could see through raggedy clothing, and disheveled hair. There was a beautiful woman underneath it all.

"Chickens are fascinating creatures," Popuri stated. She was a refreshing burst of innocence in a world full of cynicism. The way she spoke, was soft and light. Kai found himself instantly falling in love with her. His lover from Flowerbud long forgotten. Popuri and her pretty, pink, hair was innocence personified. That was such a rare occurrence in the world they lived in.

"Fascinating?" Kai asked dubiously.

"Yes," Popuri replied. "They are really loyal creatures." She bent down and one came waddling up to her. She scratched the chicken on the head.

"I'm amazed you are able to keep chickens," Kai replied.

"All thanks to our farmer, Casey," Popuri sighed. "He provides all our food for the animals."

"I hear you have cows and sheep too?" Kai asked amazed. Popuri nodded enthusiastically.

"They're on the farm next door!" She answered. "There's nothing like fresh milk!"

"I haven't had fresh anything in a while," Kai admitted. "Yesterday was the first time I've had fresh food in quite a while."

"It's the small pleasures that keep us going," Popuri agreed.

"Like being in the company of a beautiful woman, like yourself?" Kai asked. He smiled at the pink haired girl. Popuri blushed. She hadn't ever had a man think of her as beautiful before.

"I wouldn't say anything like that," Popuri stated. She turned away from him to hide her embarrassment. She was not accustomed to men speaking to her in such a fashion. It was flattering that such a handsome man had called her beautiful. Her heart fluttered just a bit, while she continued to feed the chickens.

XXXXX

Claire couldn't help but be impressed with Gray. Very few people were able to impress her. He was very attentive and very alert to his surroundings. She couldn't deny that he ran a very successful stronghold. She also couldn't help but notice his crystal clear blue eyes. They were stunning in their own right. She couldn't think  
about right now. Thoughts like that made things more difficult, and were unnecessary.

"So, am I passing your tests?" Claire asked.

"My tests?" Gray asked. Claire looked at him.

"Did you think that I wouldn't know that you were testing me too?" Claire asked.

"No I guess I didn't," Gray chuckled.

"I don't blame you for not trusting me, you don't get very far with blind trust. That is something that needs to be earned," Claire replied. Suddenly she felt rather uncomfortable with the conversation. She became quiet. Conversations such as these made her uncomfortable. Claire continued walking with Gray in silence. When their perimeter check came up empty, they made their way back to the Inn.

The organization in Mineral Town was nothing short of amazing. Every person had their own jobs, and did them well.

"Lunch'll be ready soon," Gray advised. "Don't go too far." Claire took her leave of the man. She felt slightly uncomfortable around him yet.

XXXXX

Laney made her way to the building that had once been the church. It had long ago been turned into a makeshift hospital. Since the church was just on the outskirts of Bluebell, it was her job to make sure they received their weekly provisions. She also wanted to talk to Nathan. He always had such good advice and words of wisdom. Her mother announcing that Anissa was like the daughter she never had, was difficult for her to hear. She had long ago tried to forget her mother, but it was impossible.

"Laney child!" Nathan called out as she entered. His priest days long ago over, now he was a medic. He was standing over Ash, who had been recently injured on the last mission.

"Good afternoon Nathan," Laney greeted. Ash groaned in pain. "I brought some more medicine. We just got a shipment from Harmonica Town."

"Good," Nathan sighed. "Poor Ash here could really use the reprieve. You look troubled as well child."

"Yeah," Laney whispered.

"Is this about what your mother said on tv?" Nathan asked. Laney nodded. "Alisa! Please take care of Ash for me?" Alisa his nurse emerged from the next room.

"Good afternoon Laney," Alisa replied. She quickly began administering to Ash.

"Come with me child," Nathan encouraged. Alisa smiled sympathetically. She knew as well as everyone in town that Laney was heartbroken over her mother. It would be hard for anyone to have their own mother denounce their existence.

"I'm not sure what to do," Laney admitted. She struggled against the tears that threatened to spill from her eyelids.

"My child what is there you can do?" Nathan asked. "Your mother has made her choices. You have made yours. Dwelling on it only makes things worse for you."

"Yeah," Laney sighed. She didn't know what to think anymore. Sometimes it felt like they were fighting a battle they we're destined to lose.

XXXXX

Karen returned late to dinner from her training. Gray looked rather unpleased. She always strived to be a good soldier, but found herself falling flat in so many ways. It was tougher for her than it was for others. Karen had been born too early. As a result she'd always been smaller and weaker than the others in Mineral Town. What she lacked in size she made up for in attitude.

"Late again?" Gray asked.

"Sorry," Karen mumbled.

"Tomorrow I need you to keep an eye on one of the newbies," Gray ordered. Karen rolled her eyes. She liked being alone. Having up babysit someone all day would not be fun. Clearly this was Gray's punishment for her showing up late.

"Who would that be?" Karen grumbled. Gray pointed to the dark skinned man wearing a purple bandana. Karen's eyes widened. He was quite possibly the most handsome man she'd ever seen. His light lavender eyes caught hers, and he winked. Karen looked away.

"Try not to make a fool of yourself," Gray ordered. Then walked away. Karen grumbled and made her way to the kitchen. Even though she was late, Carter, the pastor turned cook, would always hook her up with some food.

XXXXX

Jamie felt himself being lifted up by his shirt collar. Over the past few days he'd been tortured and abused by Jin's soldiers. He could barely stand as the man who had captured him was before him.

"You are free to go," the man barked. "On one condition, you must leave the capital and try to infiltrate one of the resistance's strongholds."

"And if I don't?" Jamie asked.

"Then we will kill your family," the man stated. Jamie glared at the man. Clearly he had no choice in the matter.

"Fine!" Jamie spat out. At least this way he could bring down one of groups he hated.


	6. Chapter 6

Lyla found herself thinking more and more about what Zack had confessed to Gwen and her on the last supply run. The image of that poor girl dying had been burned into her mind before she knew that it was his daughter, it was even worse now. She couldn't believe how incredibly strong Zack was. If it had been a member of her family that had been killed in such a manner she'd lose it. Zack, however seemed to be in control.

"Whatchya thinking bout pinkie?" A voice behind her asked. Lyla jumped and turned towards the voice. A face she didn't recognize, stared back at her. She quickly withdrew her firearm from it's holster and pointed it in his face.

"Who the hell are you?" Lyla demanded.

"Whoa! Sorry, I thought you were Popuri!" The man stated.

"Answer my question! Who are you? How do you know Popuri?" Lyla demanded.

"Stand down Lyla!" Karen called out. She came running up to the two of them. Karen looked exasperated. "Kai, you keep pulling stunts like that and Gray will have your head!" Lyla relaxed her grip, but still didn't lower her pistol.

"You know this man?" Lyla asked glancing sideways at Karen.

"Yes, I am one of the people from Flowerbud, would you please mind pointing that somewhere else?" Kai asked. Lyla's face instantly changed when she heard Flowerbud. She lowered her weapon.

"Flowerbud?" Lyla whispered. "Do you..." She trailed off. She was worried about her dear friend, Louis, but was hesitant to ask.

"Do I what?" Kai asked. Kai was still feeling a bit unsettled. He hadn't expected to be at the business end of a pistol this morning. He was grateful that this woman appeared to look before she shot.

"Nothing," Lyla sighed. "You on babysitting duty?" Lyla turned to Karen. Karen nodded.

"I was getting my orders from Gray, when he slipped out of the Inn," Karen growled.

"I have a name," Kai replied. "My name is Kai." He held out his hand towards Lyla. She looked down at it for a moment, before reluctantly accepting it.

"Lyla," she stated.

"Are you and Popuri sisters?" Kai asked.

"No she's my cousin," Lyla answered. "Anyway, I should be going." Lyla started to move past him.

"Nice to meet you Lyla," Kai replied, he smiled a winning smile. She nodded slightly. Kai chuckled. Women were always so much fun to be around.

"Laugh it up!" Karen chided. "Gray's pissed! You aren't doing very much to change his feelings about you!"

"What about yours?" Kai asked. He inched closer to the woman in front of him. Karen was classically beautiful, even the roughness of the times couldn't hide that. There were hints of her voluptuous frame showing through her baggy clothing. She was petite, and Kai wondered what it would be like to see her with her strawberry blonde hair tumbling down her back, instead of tied into the tight bun it was currently in.

"Stop it!" Karen scoffed. Her face betrayed her. Kai could see the slight pink in her cheeks, before she turned away from him. "Gray wants to talk to you."

"Of course he does," Kai mused. He followed Karen. He couldn't help but think how many beautiful women there were in Mineral Town.

XXXXX

"Good morning Doctor," Jack greeted. His orders were to report to Doctor Trent. He was still quite injured, and Gray had decided the hospital would be a good place for him to be. He walked past the nurse. She flicked her gaze away from him, and continued to rustle through some papers, when he caught her eye. Perhaps this assignment wouldn't be so bad.

"You know what you're doing?" The doctor asked. The man looked less than pleased to see Jack in his office.

"I know enough," Jack replied. Truth was, Jack had been a surgeon before joining the resistance. It had been the only reason he had been able to survive his extensive injuries. He had talked Kai through patching him up.

"Really?" The doctor asked. Jack could see the skepticism in the doctor's face. "What qualifications do you have?"

"I used to be a surgeon," Jack replied. Trent looked at him with a renewed respect.

"About damn time that someone with medical experience join us," Trent mumbled. "I don't have time to babysit you, though. Elli!" The brunette popped her head up from the paperwork.

"Yes Doctor?" Elli asked.

"Stick close to the new guy today," Trent ordered.

"Yes sir," Elli replied. There had been a time that she had been in love with Trent. Over the years, he'd become a hardened shell of the man he used to be. He was overly harsh and abrasive. It had been Elli's kind words and heart that had kept up patient morale. Jack limped his way towards Elli.

"So you're my boss today?" Jack asked, teasingly. Elli bit on her bottom lip to keep from smiling."

"Appears so," Elli answered.

XXXXX

"You okay Laney?" Georgia asked. She knew that ever since Laney's mother appeared on television Laney had not been on top of her game.

"I'm fine," Laney mumbled.

"Laney, you are my best friend, do not insult me by saying nothing," Georgia chided. Laney looked down at the ground. Georgia's convictions were something Laney envied.

"Sorry," Laney whispered. "I just sometimes wonder if this is all worth it,. I wonder if we're fighting a battle that we're destined to lose, ya know?" Georgia sighed. She took Laney's hand in hers.

"That's normal," Georgia replied.

"You never think that way!" Laney cried out. Georgia chuckled. "This is not funny!"

"Laney I'm not laughing at what you feel, I'm laughing at what you said. I have doubts all the time. But then I think of all the bad things Jin has done, and it reminds me what we're fighting for," Georgia assured.

"You have doubts?" Laney asked. "You always seem so strong!"

"I have to," Georgia replied. "I have to motivate everyone." Laney smiled.

"Thank you," Laney said.

"Anytime," Georgia said in return. Laney left the room leaving Georgia in her office by herself. Georgia's thought drifted to Laney's words. They echoed her deepest fears. She often worried that they would never win this battle. But those thoughts were dangerous. She couldn't have those thoughts. She needed to keep everyone here motivated. She took a deep breath, it had been such a long journey, and she had a feeling that it was just going to get worse.

XXXXX

Molly was in stealth mode. She was following the man that Jin had captured. He was being escorted out of town by a prison guard. Chase had wanted to find out what they were planning on doing with him. Jin had wrongly assumed this man was a part of the resistance because he'd been caught stealing food. No one that was a most of the resistance would be stupid enough to get caught. Molly continued to follow the two men through Harmonica Town.

"Remember, you betray us and Jin kills your family!" The guard warned. The man mumbled something in return that Molly could not make out. She could not risk getting any closer. There was not as much cover here near the edge of the capital city. "You gain entry into the resistance and your family will have more food than they'll know what to do with." The guard pushed the man out of the gate. The man stared back one last time and then turned and walked away.

The guard stood watching the man leave. Molly was about to leave when she saw the guard lift up his radio to his mouth.

"He's gone," the guard reported.

"Good," Owen's voice boomed. "Now get back here we have to implement phase two." Molly decided to continue following the guard. She wanted to see what "Phase two" was.

The guard led Molly to the housing district in Harmonica Town. It consisted of small huts in which families of the workers lived. Molly had only been here once before. Owen was waiting outside a small hut.

"Do we have to go this?" The guard asked. Owen's brow furrowed.

"Yes," Owen answered.

"But the man-"

"You wanna argue with me soldier? These are Jin's orders. His family is to be executed! We cannot have them trying to run away."

"Why not imprison them?"

"This is going to be a warning to all these worker families!" Owen boomed. The guard simply nodded. Molly decided to leave at that point. She had seen enough. She didn't want to watch a poor family get slaughtered.

XXXXX

"So what do you plan on doing with me?" Claire asked. She was getting tired of just following Gray around. She felt useless. She wanted to be doing actual work.

"I haven't decided yet," Gray admitted. "I could really use your help leading..." He stopped short.

"But you don't trust me?" Claire asked.

"I am starting to," Gray sighed. Truth was he was more than starting to trust her. Claire stirred in him feelings that she hadn't felt in a long time. He didn't want to admit this to Claire. Infatuation had no place in his life. But it was hard to resist her natural beauty.

"Look Gray," Claire stated. "I'm going to level set with you. I'm good at what I do, but I understand that you have a stronghold to protect. I want to do whatever I can to help you." Gray couldn't help but smile at her comment.

"Thank you," Gray sighed. "Truth is we're preparing for our first offensive attack. I could use your expertise."

"Really?" Claire asked.

"Yes, if we succeed... If we succeed we'll be able to show Jin that we're serious!" Gray said excitedly. Claire fed off his enthusiasm. She liked being around people who were as passionate about the cause as she was.

XXXXX

Anissa sat at her vanity as her older servant, Alaina, brushed her hair. The woman doted on Anissa. She always called Anissa "my dear child." She was more loving than her own mother.

"Your hair is so lovely," Alaina commented. Her hands deftly styled Anissa's hair.

"Thank you," Anissa said humbly. Anissa rubbed at a spot on her hand, and her thoughts drifted to her lover Bo. It had started out as pure physical, but it was quickly turning into more. She longed to be with him, but knew it was impossible. Jin would have her killed before he'd ever let her free. She sighed as she stated at her reflection. Anissa was a prisoner in her own home.

"Anissa!" Hi shouted as he suddenly burst into the room. Both women startled.

"My goddess, what is the matter?" Anissa asked. Jin looked angrily at her. Anissa wasn't sure what he was so angry about.

"Please excuse us!" Jin ordered Alaina. The servant quickly left the room. Jin marched over to Anissa and roughly pulled her to her feet.

"You think you can hide things from me?" Jin demanded. Anissa's heart started beating quicker, as Jin's grip tightened around her arm. She stared up at him waiting for him to continue. She feared the worst. What was it he had found out? She prayed it wasn't about her brother being a part of the resistance. Jin would make an example out of him by brutally killing him. Anissa's fear gripped her as she waited for him to say more.


	7. Chapter 7

Jin's hands gripped Anissa's arms tighter. She refrained from flinching. She didn't want to give her husband the satisfaction of seeing her hurt. He was a sick man who enjoyed the pain of others. Anissa knew this well.

"You can at least have the decency to be more discreet about your love affair!" Jin shouted. Anissa sighed with relief.

"Like you do?" Anissa asked. Jin's eyes narrowed.

"I could kill you right here," Jin warned.

"What's stopping you?" Anissa asked. "I know as well as you do that you need me. You need a figurehead wife." Jin said nothing. Anissa knew that she had struck a chord. Jin had built up his marriage to her. And while many of the higher society knew it was a sham, many of the working class did not. They adored her. She kept them loyal.

"Then I'll kill your lover," Jin threatened.

"Do that husband and you will regret it. I've known for a long time that you don't love me. Nor do I love you, but I stay for the sake of my family and the people. But rest assured, if you kill him-"

Jin cut her off with a backhanded slap. Anissa's eyes teared from the sting. She lifted her hand gently up to her cheek.

"You cannot expect me to be made a fool," Jin sneered. "If you want to take a lover, then so be it. But be more discreet." Anissa looked to the floor. His words confirmed what she had long ago known to be truth: her husband did not love her.

"Fine I will have him come here," Anissa replied.

"No!" Jin shouted. "This one shall die! Too many people know! He needs to made an example!"

"No!" Anissa pleaded. Jin threw open the door and Anissa saw the face of her lover staring back at her. He was already badly beaten, and was being held up by the chains that shackled him.

"Be more careful next time wife of mine," Jin whispered in her ear. She shivered with disgust. Anissa pursed her lips together.

"I despise you," she whispered back.

"Please take the prisoner down to the cells. I will have him executed by at the end of week! It'll be perfect for the ball!" Jin sneered. Anissa refused to cry in front of her husband. She hadn't known how much he disliked her until this moment. She also never hated him more than in this moment.

"Wait!" Anissa cried out. Tears streamed down her cheek. She started towards Bo, when Jin grabbed her arm and threw her to the ground. She put out her arm to catch her fall. A sharp pain ran up her arm. She clutched it close to her.

"Do not disobey me!" Jin shouted. He strode our of the room leaving Anissa. Tears rolled down her cheeks. How had he found out? She had tried to be so careful? The physical pain he'd cause was nothing compared to the pain she felt in her heart.

"I'll get him out," a voice stated. Anissa looked up to see her brother Taylor standing in the doorway. At fourteen, he was already starting to show signs of manhood.

"Taylor," Anissa whispered. Taylor bent down to help his sister off the floor.

"I can get you out too."

Anissa looked wide eyed. Could it really be possible to escape? She shook her head. She knew that she must stay.

"No, just get Bo out," Anissa replied. She hugged her little brother, who was now taller than her. "Be careful."

"Always sis," Taylor quipped. Then he was gone, leaving Anissa with her heartache.

XXXXX

Karen rolled her eyes at her companion. Kai was charismatic and charming. It was just those qualities that made her wary of him. He was too smooth of a talker, too handsome, and too confident in himself. While she found herself physically attracted to him, she was careful not to let him see too much of that. Karen held up her bow in ready to shoot her target. Kai it seemed was a natural shot. She envied that. He was showing off, of course.

Karen let the arrow fly and it hit the target she'd set up, but was at least two inches off the center mark. Karen sighed and lowered her bow. She really did try so hard. It was disheartening to see her hard work not pay off.

"Hey," Kai said. "Can I show you something?" The sincerity in his voice threw her off. She nodded.

"Sure," Karen answered. Kai stepped forward.

"Put your bow up and pull an arrow back, but don't let go," Kai instructed. Karen followed his instructions. Karen suddenly felt Kai's hand on hers. She almost startled, but then stopped.

"What are you doing?" Karen demanded.

"Your grip is hindering your aim," Kai informed. He made a few quick adjustments. "Also your head is tilted forward." He shifted it gently up. He made a few more alterations in her stance.

"Ummm..." Karen swallowed. Feeling his hands on her made her feel a bit tingly.

"Now aim and release," Kai instructed. Karen let the arrow go. She watched the arrow breathlessly. It caught in the target. Karen smiled. It was only centimeters off the center mark. "Good now try it again."

Karen eagerly pulled up another arrow. Taking a deep breath, she adjusted her stance and grip the way Kai had instructed. This time he only had to adjust her head. Karen released the arrow, it sailed in the air hitting dead center. Karen smiled. Without thinking she hugged Kai.

"Thank you!" Karen shouted. Instantly she pulled away feeling awkward. "I'm sorry. Thanks for your help."

"Anytime," Kai smirked. He had thoroughly enjoyed the feel of Karen's curves against him. Karen blushed heavily at his gaze, she turned away and walked towards the targets.

"Let's clean up, lunch'll be soon," Karen ordered. Kai chuckled softly, following her.

XXXXX

Molly made her way through the crowds of people. It was easy for her to go unnoticed. The Raiders in the capital never paid her any mind. Her small statute and servant status made her appear as non threatening. So when she made her way back to the small worker shacks, no one cared. The family that had been executed was still lying in front of their home. Molly cringed. She hated seeing innocent blood spilled. But she needed to get proof that they'd been slaughtered. She glanced around to make sure no one was looking, and took a few photos. Just as she was slipping her camera back into her bag, a Raider showed up.

"Just what are you doing here?" He demanded. Molly quickly bowed her head.

"I need to get to the farms," Molly replied. The man looked at her skeptically. Most servants took the longer path around the shacks, so they could avoid this area. The workers did not live very well and often tried to steal Sent from my iPhone

"This is a dangerous place for a young girl like yourself," the man growled.

"Oh I know! I was just running behind, and Mrs Logan's not going to be happy with me," Molly prattled. She attempted to make her voice sound scattered and afraid. It seemed to work. The man's features softened.

"You work for the Logan household?" He asked. "Well then let me escort you to the farm area. I suggest you take the long way around back though okay?" Molly nodded and followed the man. She found it ridiculous that knowing that she could easily protect herself, but needed to keep up the appearance of a helpless maid.

She quickly noticed that he was not taking her to the farms. He was taking her into the woods. She slipped her ha s into her pocket and gripped her pocket knife.

"This doesn't look like the right way," Molly stated.

"It's not!" The man sneered. "You and me, we're gonna have a little fun." He smiled and looked at her hungrily. He made the mistake of setting down his weapon and walking towards her. She allowed him to think he had the upper hand for a brief moment. The man grabbed her roughly. She moved quickly, bringing her knee to his groin. He groaned in pain, she drew her pocket knife and quickly sliced across his face, leaving him cupping his head. She knew she couldn't leave a witness, in two seconds she drew the knife against his throat. The man tumbled down. After a few moments she bent down to check for a pulse. After finding none, she wiped her knife off on his clothing and slipped it back in her pocket. She needed to get to the river discreetly so she could clean herself off. ChSe was not going to be happy with her, but she wasn't about to become a victim to that man. She walked away leaving his body in the open, knowing that the workers were going to be the ones blamed for his death, but it couldn't be helped.

"Sorry," she whispered in the direction of the shacks, and made her way to the river.

XXXXX

Laney slipped into her room. She used to live in the cafe with her father and mother and Cam. That was so long ago, she could barely remember. She had loved sitting on the counter and watching her father and mother cook together. Cam was softly snoring. It made her smile. Cam was what kept her sane. She settled into the bed, and Cam shifted, and looked up at her.

"How was the late night rounds?" Cam asked sleepily.

"Nothing too unusual," Laney answered. She sleepless into bed next to him. He cuddled up to her kissing her passionately. She allowed herself to get lost in the feelings for just a moment. These were the moments that reminded her of her humanity. Cam stroked Laney'a cheek with his thumb. Pure love radiated in his eyes.

"I'm glad you're here now," Cam whispered. "I always worry about you on the late nights."

"I am capable of handling myself," Laney insisted.

"I know," Cam sighed. "But I still worry." Laney smiled. It was nice to still have someone who cared do deeply for her.

There was a harsh knock the door shook them both. Laney went to answer it. Georgia stood looking all business.

"We've got an injured man at the church. He said he used to live in Flowerbud. I need Cam to get in touch with Mineral Town in the morning to find out status on this guy. In the mean time we have him cuffed," Georgia ordered.

"How did you know Cam would be in here?" Laney asked.

"Please," Georgia scoffed, but her expression was light. "I'm the commander of this unit, of course I know what goes on, and I am still your best friend." Laney smiled.

"I'll contact Mary in Mineral Town first thing in the morning," Cam called out from his bed. Georgia nodded and left the room.

XXXXX

Jamie collapsed into the bed. Even though they had cuffed him, it was still nice to lay on a bed. The man who had introduced himself as Nathan had treated some of his wounds. And his helper Alisa had brought him a generous helping of some kind of stew. He hadn't eaten in days, and it had been quite a while since he'd eaten anything that good. It made his blood boil to think about his family at home. They were probably starving again tonight. He would do what he needed to get this faction of the resistance down. But right now he needed to regain some strength. Tomorrow he'd work on gaining their trust. Right now, he just needed to rest.

XXXXX

Mary sat at her computer longer than she should have. Her eyes were straining against the light. She loved analyzing data. She felt comfortable with her computer. She was solely in charge communication in Mineral Town. Mary didn't understand human interaction very well. Her mother had left for Harmonica Town years ago, and her father was too busy studying plants to pay attention to her. He did provide mineral town with natural medication when they couldn't get medicine from the spies in the city. Mary was left to her own in the house. She heard a ding indicating communication. Mary opened the file that was sent to her. Mary gasped at the photos that were sent along with the message. Mary radioed Gray.

"What's up?" Gray asked.

"Just got a message from Harmonica Town, about a possible spy from Flowerbud," Mary informed.

"What?" Gray asked.

"Molly said one of the friendlies was tortured and threatened into infiltrating one of our strongholds!" Mary informed.

"Stay there Mary," Gray ordered. I'll be there in a moment."

XXXXX

Claire was roughly pulled out of her bed. She saw Gray looking angrily at her. She was confused as to what was going on.

"You're coming with me," Gray sneered.

"What the hell?" Claire asked confused. Gray didn't answer, he just continued to drag her out of the room. Claire struggled to keep up with him, wondering what had gotten into him all of the sudden. His grip on her arm tightened.

"One of you is a spy, and I'm going to figure out who," Gray grumbled when they were out of the Inn.


	8. Chapter 8

**A bit of violence and adult themes in this chapter. Anyway hope you enjoy**

Mary's fingers flew across the keyboard, she was trying to get as much information as she could about the possible spy before Gray came back. Mary's job was strictly intelligence, and she excelled at it. She was able to gather information that very few people could gather. More than a few lived had been saved thanks to her savvy with the computer.. Mary knew her limitations though. She had a slight limp from an early childhood injury, which made her useless in combat. It was also embarrassing. She tried not to move very much around others. A photo popped up in her screen from Molly. It was a man she had never seen before.

"Get in there!" Mary heard Gray grumble just outside the door. It swing open and Gray pushed Claire through it. Claire's face was contorted in anger.

"I'm capable of walking," Claire spat out. Mary looked up at Gray.

"So which one is the spy?" Gray asked. Mary stared at Gray dumbfounded. They had been childhood friends. Gray had always been a calm gentle soul, until the resistance.

"I don't think it's anyone here," Mary replied softly. She noticed Claire rubbing her arm where Gray had gripped her.

"What?" Gray asked.

"It's someone who was from Flowerbud, he hates the resistance. Blamed us for the state in Flowerbud."

"You know him?" Gray demanded.

"Yeah," Claire replied. "He hates the resistance. Blamed us for the state of Flowerbud. In fact, I suspect he's part of the reason the Raiders invaded us." She looked at the computer screen. Jamie had threatened her life many times. The man was very irrational and unpredictable.

"What else are you not telling me?" Gray growled. Claire sighed.

"Jamie's a loose cannon. Completely unpredictable," Claire admitted. "Threatened me many times, nearly killed one of my men." Claire's jaw clenched. "He has one weakness, his family." It was Mary's turn to gasp.

"What?" Gray asked turning up her. His voice took a softer tone.

"His family was slaughtered by Owen," Mary answered. Everyone knew that Owen was one of his most trusted men.

"That's not good," Claire replied.

"Why?" Gray asked.

"There's no telling what Jamie might do now that his family is dead," Claire informed. "So, can I go back to bed now?" She looked annoyed.

"Yeah that's fine," Gray grumbled. He felt a it sheepish for jumping to conclusions but was not about to admit that to the small blonde. Claire quickly left, leaving Gray alone with Mary.

"You gonna apologize to her?" Mary asked softly, without looking up from her computer.

"Nothing to apologize for," Gray mumbled.

"Okay," Mary replied sarcastically. She bit away a smirk. She knew that Gray would not appreciate her finding humor in this manner.

"Thanks Mary," Gray sighed. Mary smiled back at him. There had been a time when Mary had been attracted to him, but these days she tended to focus more on her job. She'd lost her school girl crush on him long ago. Now she respected him as a leader.

"Anytime," Mary replied staring back at her computer.

"Try to get some sleep," Gray advised lightly. She smiled weakly at him. Gray was the only person who knew about Mary's night terrors, it was the reason she lived alone. She'd wake up screaming and sweating, the same dream, every night, always the same.

XXXXX

"For goddess sake Molly! You killed a Raider?" Chase chided. Molly stood back crossing her arms. She had expected him to respond this way, but was still irritated.

"He was going to attack me!" Molly insisted.

"I know," Chase sighed. "Are you sure no one saw you?" Molly nodded tersely. His gaze softened slightly. "You okay?"

"I'm fine sir," Molly answered. She only called him that when she was extremely pissed off. Chase picked up on it right away. Molly was one of his more ruthless recruits. Many people had qualms about killing Raiders. It was almost ironic, that she was also the one who cared more about civilians. Molly could easily and quickly kill someone, yet she would take the time to help a lost child. She was not someone who could be pigeonholed.

"Where is his body?" Chase asked. Molly's face fell.

"In the forest next to the worker's shacks," Molly sighed. "If I had more time I would have moved him. I hate thinking about what Owen's going to do to those poor workers."

"Not our problem anymore," Chase answered. Molly made a face. "I'm serious Molly. We need you."

"Ok," Molly whispered. Chase left her alone. It had been quite some time since someone had told Molly she was needed. It had felt oddly comforting. She settled into her tiny room for the evening. Even though her room was small, she at least had a room. Many of the workers shared one room shacks with five to seven people. She hated the injustice of it all, and couldn't wait for the day when they could finally launch an attack.

"Get out of bed!" A voice shouted. Molly looked up to see the main housekeeper standing in the doorway. Her face was contorted angrily. "Owen's here to see you!" Molly's heart started racing. What if someone had seen her kill that man? She stood up slowly. Owen came into the room with a predatory smile on his face.

"That'll be all," Owen ordered the older woman. She quickly left. Molly stared at Owen preparing for an attack. She could more than handle herself. It would be escaping that would be the hard part.

XXXXX

Anissa sat at her vanity staring into the mirror. Her eyes blank and heart heavy. If Taylor failed... She could not think in those terms. Taylor had to succeed. It was Bo's only hope of survival. She hated her husband more than she ever had before. His tyranny was too much to bear. Jin thought nothing of killing people. In fact, he often made a sport of it. She was nothing more than a figure-head to make the people happy.

She stared at the combs that had been placed carefully in her hair. It created a beautiful frame around her flawless face. Rich silk rested against her skin, she wanted for nothing. She would have traded it all in a heartbeat. She ran an elegantly painted fingernail across the varnish on the vanity, causing a small chip in the polish. Alaina, her servant, would have chided her if she had seen that. Alaina enjoyed being Anissa's servant. As if thinking of her called her to the room, Alaina appeared in the doorway.

"You look stunning," Alaina cooed. "I only wish that my da-... I mean I wish I could have a daughter like you. So elegant, so fair." Anissa winced, she knew about Alaina's daughter. Jin had absolved her of all relation to her daughter when she had become her servant. Anissa hated thinking about how that girl must feel.

"Thank you," Anissa whispered. She no longer cared what she looked like. It was pointless to even try. Without Bo, her life would be meaningless. He had provided a bit of a spark in her life.

"Yes she does look rather lovely, doesn't she?" Him asked. Anissa's head popped up. How long has he been standing there? He turned and smiled at the servant. "I'd like some time with my beautiful wife please."

"Of course," Alaina gushed. She quickly left the room. Anissa braced herself for whatever he was about to unleash. Instead of anger, she saw a strange softness in his eyes. It had been quite some time since she's seen this side of him.

"What?" Anissa asked coldly. She could not forgive him for how he had acted.

"I am still your husband," Jin stated. Anissa's eyes narrowed. She couldn't be sure what he was implying. "Things were said, I'm willing to look past them." His words stunned her. Jin was never the type of man to forgive. She remained silent for a moment.

"Look, it's clear you don't love me, I'm not sure why you even keep me around," Anissa spat out. She was still to angry to concede.

"Are you so sure of that?" Jin asked. It wasn't until that moment that she realized how close Jin was to her. Their faces were a mere inches apart. "Remember when we were children? You always had such a crush on me."

"That was before I knew better," Anissa replied. Her tone had lost some of its bite. She was too flustered by the way he was acting. He placed a finger under her chin.

"I will not have people thinking that this union is anything but perfect. In fact I have given up Selena. You and I are going to be united," Jin informed.

"And if I refuse?" Anissa asked. Jin's hand quickly moved around her throat. He lightly squeezed. It was enough to get her attention.

"Then know your consequences," Jin warned.

"I will not take her place in your bed," Anissa said angrily.

"Nor would I expect you to. I have chosen a more discreet lover, I suggest you do the same," Jin advised. "But on a public front we are united." He quickly left the room leaving Anissa reeling from what he had just said.

XXXXX

Georgia marched to the hospital armed with information on the newcomer to the Twin Towns. If she were lucky she could convince him to become a part of the resistance. They needed someone who had Jin's trust, they needed information.

"Good morning Georgia," Alisa greeted cheerily. Georgia smiled. Alisa's kind heart was much too tender to do anything else but nurse the injured.

"I'm here to see your new patient," Georgia advised.

"Oh, he's still sleeping," Alisa informed.

"That's not a request," Georgia stated. Alisa's brow furrowed. Georgia was not accustomed to having to explain herself, but she could see that Alisa would be needing one. "He's a spy."

"What?" Alisa asked. Georgia knew that Alisa liked to look for the good in people, while Georgia second guessed everyone. "He's severely injured. It is clear that he was tortured. Who would do that beside one of Jin's men?"

"I understand," Georgia sighed. "But do you really put it past Jin to torture one of his own men?" Alisa relented. She stepped aside. Georgia made her way over the the man who was laying in the bed. He was cuffed to the bed for safety. Anytime they found someone who was injured, and not a known part of the resistance, they would handcuff the person to the hospital bed per Georgia's orders. Alisa had balked at first, but they had saved themselves from many attackers that way. Alisa followed Georgia over to the patient in question. The man looked pale and beaten up. Georgia doubted this man could stage any type of attack, but with the information she was armed with, she wasn't about to take any chances.

"Can we uncuff him now?" Alisa asked.

"No!" Georgia answered sharply. With her loud repolly the man's eyes opened. He surveyed Georgia, and she could see the flash of hatred in his eyes. In an instant it was gone. But Georgia was smart enough to catch the intent in the look.

"I'm so glad to see you awake," Alisa replied.

"Thanks," he answered.

"Why are you here?" Georgia asked gruffly. She was not feeling particularly forgiving nor sympathetic. She would leave that to Alisa.

"I was injured... by Jin's men. I am looking for a sanctuary," he answered.

"Liar! You are a spy for Jin!" Georgia shouted. "I know what he has against you, but know that his promises are empty." Georgia presented the pictures of his slain family. The man started shaking.

"Look what you've done!" Alisa cried out. She moved to his side.

Jamie barely noticed the girl who had moved to his side. The sight of his family was making him feel sick. Jin's man had promised him that his family would be safe. Why had he ever believed him? The nurse softly touched his arm. Jamie reacted. He pulled out a hidden knife and pulled the girl into a choke hold.

"Don't move!" He said to the woman who had presented the photos. "Don't move or I will kill this girl!"


End file.
